In this text, I will examine the origins and elements of music from both a western and a world music perspective. I will introduce examples of many types and genres of music on two levels: 1) the sound itself, and 2) the historical and social context in which these sounds were created.

My purpose is not only to help readers understand the basic elements of music, but to use those elements to develop a vocabulary with which examples can be discussed and evaluated. And it is hoped that, through the process of understanding the historical and social context for specific examples of world music, a greater appreciation for all musics will be developed.

Evidence of music has been found in all known societies. But, although it is true that all known cultures have music, different cultures have different kinds of music. So, even though, in general, music may be a universal language of humankind (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), there is not a single universal, musical language.